By Sue-Ann Wayow

FORMER FIFA vice president  Jack Warner claims political victimisation to the highest level as he is thankful that a full investigation was launched into how his extradition case to the United States was dealt with.

Warner spoke with AZP News on Wednesday, almost close to tears as a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Now 81, and although grateful for the move by the Attorney General’s Office, he regrets the things he has been unable to do.

“For me it is too late, the best years of my life have gone by. Things I could have done or should have done, I would have had to put it on hold and in fact, I should say, some of those things, I will never be able to do again. At the end of the day, all I can say is I hope justice prevails and I get of course some kind of relief for the torture that  I went through.”

“Somebody or bodies should pay for what I went through,” he said.

Warner said, “This was of course, political victimisation to the highest.”

The investigation launched by Attorney General John Jeremie, was disclosed by British attorney Robert Strang on Tuesday. Strang is leading the state’s team for the Office of the Attorney General.

He requested an adjournment of Warner’s latest extradition challenge currently being heard by Justice Karen Reid.

The investigation is into the actions of all who were involved in the case, including past attorneys general, mainly Faris Al-Rawi and Reginald Armour, both AGs under the previous administration.

Strang explained that key individuals have been asked to respond to the findings of former chief magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle in her June 2023 ruling on Warner’s latest request to challenge his extradition in the High Court.

“Some have given a first response, and in the interest of fairness, everything would have to be tested against the electronic and documentary evidence,” he said.

Strang said Jeremie decided to “scrutinise and reassess” the state’s approach to the matter to date having “taken the view that it’s necessary to investigate properly the allegations that have been made, because a number of serious allegations have been made against the Attorney General’s office and his predecessors in office.”

Warner said to AZP News, “This is not something that I can simply dismiss overnight. It has hurt me to the core.”

He said, “The very office that was meant to protect me and give me justice tried to hang me.”

Warner also said he will be eternally grateful for his attorney Fyard Hosein, SC, and his legal team because “for ten years, they kept the faith and told me not to give up.” Also representing Warner are Rishi Dass, SC, Sasha Bridgemohansingh, Anil Maraj and Aadam Hosein.

He said some of his closest friends did not stand with him in his time of need. Not just him, but his wife and two sons were also ostracised, he said.

Warner said, “Even my bank managers who were falling on their knees to beg me for business began to close my accounts and almost all the banks except two keep my accounts alive –  Republic Bank and JMMB. All the others told me to withdraw my money and do not come back.”

In the US charge sheet against him, Warner is accused of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.

He is also being accused of accepting a bribe from South African officials in exchange for his vote to award them as the 2010 World Cup nation.

Warner admitted to AZP News, “At the end of the day, I am not without sin, but this particular incident they hold me for, just because I didn’t of course vote for a country to host the World Cup, that does mean I have to suffer, lies upon lies upon me.”

Warner, a former government minister, politician, businessman and owner of a newspaper believes he has served the country well and did not deserve the rash treatment imposed on him by the People’s National Movement (PNM) government.

The US requested Warner’s extradition on July 24, 2015.

The general election of 2015 was held on September 7, when the PNM took office from the People’s Partnership administration led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her first term as prime minister.

Warner was minister of works and transport in that government and was considered one of the most hardworking ministers until 2013.

He then went to form the Independent Liberal Party (IPL) and contested the general election representing Chaguanas West, of which he was a resoundingly successful candidate.

Warner said, “In my humble way, I have served this country well. I may have made some mistakes too, nobody is perfect but I think I served this country well, at no cost to this country…to see what has happened to me, leaves me close to tears.”

He also said, “You cannot fault somebody for their political beliefs at the moment and I was of course an ardent critic of the PNM, I always will be because I feel the PNM has done damage to this country in ways unimaginable.”

But in a democracy, Warner said he should not have been penalised for his political beliefs.

“I am free to join any party and say what I want within the laws of libel and so on, there is nothing wrong with that.”

Warner recently again made the political spotlight in the general election this year openly endorsing Persad-Bissessar as prime minister.

To AZP News, he said not only the former AGs should be held accountable but also the former government’s legal team.